knien
to kneel
To lower oneself onto one or both knees so that the body rests on the knees.
EXAMPLE
Er kniete vor ihr nieder, um ihr den Heiratsantrag zu machen.
He knelt down in front of her to propose to her.
knien
to kneel
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Meanings
sich in etwas knien
to throw oneself into
To deal with a task or topic very intensively and with great commitment.
EXAMPLE
Für die Prüfung musste er sich richtig in die Bücher knien.
For the exam, he really had to throw himself into his books.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'knien' (to kneel) is derived directly from the noun 'das Knie' (the knee). It describes the action one performs with the knees.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind kniete auf dem Boden, um mit seinen Spielzeugautos zu spielen.
The child knelt on the floor to play with his toy cars.
Sentence structure in the perfect tense
The perfect tense of 'knien' (to kneel) is formed in standard German with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have), because it describes a position.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine Stunde lang vor dem Altar gekniet.
He knelt in front of the altar for an hour.
Typical prepositions
In its literal meaning, 'knien' (to kneel) is often used with the prepositions 'vor' (+ dative) or 'auf' (+ dative).
EXAMPLE
Der Gärtner kniet auf der Erde, um Unkraut zu jäten.
The gardener is kneeling on the ground to weed.
Fixed expression
The expression 'sich in etwas knien' (to throw oneself into something) is reflexive and requires the preposition 'in' with the accusative. It means to devote oneself to something with full energy.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mich jetzt richtig in dieses Projekt knien, um die Frist einzuhalten.
I really have to throw myself into this project now in order to meet the deadline.
Register
The figurative meaning 'sich in etwas knien' (to throw oneself into something) belongs to colloquial language and sounds very committed and energetic.
EXAMPLE
Wenn du die Prüfung bestehen willst, musst du dich in den Lernstoff knien.
If you want to pass the exam, you have to throw yourself into the study material.
Compare with
knien vs spezialisieren
to specialize
Sich spezialisieren means concentrating on a particular field over the long term and acquiring special knowledge there. Sich in etwas knien (to throw oneself into something), by contrast, emphasizes a strong commitment to a specific task or topic. Intensive work alone is therefore not yet specialization.
knien
Die Restauratorin kniet sich in die schwierige Reparatur dieses alten Holzmöbels.
The restorer is throwing herself into the difficult repair of this antique wooden piece of furniture.
spezialisieren
Die Restauratorin spezialisiert sich auf die Reparatur alter Holzmöbel.
The restorer is specializing in repairing antique wooden furniture.
In real life
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